RP to push for international cooperation to reduce firearms proliferation

MANILA, Philippines –  The Philippines is seeking international cooperation in the government’s efforts to reduce or eliminate the proliferation of illegal firearms in the country, Malacañang said yesterday.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said he will make the pitch before the Review Summit on the Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development (GDAVD) on Sept. 12 in Geneva, Switzerland.

Press Secretary Jesus Dureza was designated Acting Executive Secretary until Ermita returns to Manila on Wednesday.

President Arroyo earlier issued a new policy on the peace process where negotiations with all armed groups should first discuss disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration of rebels before talks proceed any further.

He said that while in Geneva, he would hand over a letter from Mrs. Arroyo to President Pascal Couchepin of the Swiss Federation reiterating the country’s strong support for the Declaration, which the Swiss government initiated in June 2006.

During the summit, Ermita will present the Philippines Country Statement focusing its efforts on the GDAVD which the country endorsed last May.

“In presenting our Country Statement, I will underscore the broad parameters guiding government policies not only in the peace process, internal security operations, and law enforcement, but also on developmental interventions,” he said.

He said such parameters, which conform to the GDAVD, involve “the recognition that armed conflict is anathema to human development, the imperative to address the root causes of insurgencies by way of a comprehensive peace process, and the adoption of an expansive mode of conflict prevention and reduction—one that encompasses full respect for human rights, accountability of state security forces, arms control, and strategic development programs and projects.”

Ermita said he would affirm the country’s continuing adherence to the Declaration by drawing attention to the fact that “the Philippine government, fully aware of the social, economic and political costs of armed conflict, remains committed to conflict management by way of peace-making and peace-building.”

He said the government is “determined to provide timely, sufficient, and comprehensive development assistance to conflict-ridden areas and to sustain development interventions in aid of post-conflict rehabilitation.”

Apart from the summit on the GDAVD, Ermita will be meeting with international organizations, such as the Geneva-based Henri Dunant Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, which he said was one of the key players in the summit and “reliable partner of the Philippine government in peace and development efforts in Sulu.”

There will also be opportunities for the Philippine delegation to attend some of the presentations and discussions at the 9th Session of the Human Rights Council, which began last Sept. 8 and ends on Sept. 23, Ermita said. – Paolo Romero